Southwest Michigan First

Greg Dobson

Chief Operating Officer

AVB

Greg Dobson was reared in Quincy, Michigan. In 1991, he graduated with a B.B.A from the Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business. In 1995 he received his MBA from WMU. Beginning in 1991, Greg worked with WMU President Dr. Haenicke until 1998 serving as his executive assistant.  In the Office of the President, he focused on the university budget and construction budgets. Further he was the liaison to the athletic director and the intercollegiate athletics department. The University completed over $175 million in construction projects during his tenure.

In 1998, Greg joined the WMU Athletic Department and served as Associate Athletic Director until November of 1999.

In November 1999, Greg joined real estate and construction firm AVB in Portage, Michigan. Greg invested in and became one of four partners in AVB in 2006. Today Greg serves as Chief Operating Officer of AVB. Since 1999, he has directly been involved in the development and construction of over $250,000,000 in student housing projects throughout West Michigan and the eastern half of the U.S.; multi-family projects in Portage and Kalamazoo, including 400 Rose in downtown Kalamazoo, over 300,000 square feet of Class A office space at I-94 and Westnedge; numerous Walgreens in Indiana and Michigan; and numerous planned development projects including the corner@ drake retail development in Kalamazoo anchored by Costco and Trader Joe’s.

During his professional career, Greg has also focused on community service. He presently serves as the chair of the Ascension Borgess Foundation Board, the co-chair of the WMU 3 Point Basketball Fundraiser, and serves on the boards of the WMU Alumni Association, the WMU Athletic Director’s Board and Southwest Michigan First. In the past, he served on the Kalamazoo Symphony Board and as President of the Oshtemo Rotary Club and chair of the Greater Kalamazoo YMCA Board.

Greg enjoys focusing time and energy on health and wellness. Greg’s wife Melinda holds three degrees from WMU including a Ph.D. in English. Greg and Melinda have four adult children who live in Kalamazoo and East Lansing.